The Circle Blog

News, opinion, case studies and more

Job Opportunity: Communications and Projects Officer

Communications and Projects Officer Job type: Full time position. Working as the Communications and Projects Officer at The Circle has been an incredibly valuable opportunity. I have learned, attended the widest range of events, met fascinating people from all […]

Facts and Myths about Sex Trafficking in Canada

Photo credit: Matthew S. Browning. The Calgary Circle, the newest affiliate in our sisterhood of Circles, is supporting ACT Alberta, an organisation that works to end human trafficking in Alberta, Canada. To help end human trafficking it is important to understand the […]

My visit to Nonceba

The Circle founder Annie Lennox shares her most recent visit to Nonceba, a family counselling centre and shelter for women supported by The Circle. Nonceba is located in Khayelitsha, a township in Western Cape, South Africa. Its vast spread […]

Feminist Calendar: July and August 2018

Now – 4th November – Frida Kahlo: Making Herself Up (London) This V&A exhibition presents an extraordinary collection of personal artefacts and clothing belonging to the iconic Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Locked away for 50 years after her death, this […]

SeeMe x The Circle collection

See Me and The Circle have launched a beautiful and ethically-made jewellery collection to celebrate ten years of Women Empowering Women. SeeMe is a fair-trade verified brand that produces sleek heart-shaped jewellery and accessories and provides ethical sourcing for […]

Processions: We have the vote. Now we want equality!

Photo: Peta Barrett at Processions, in London on 10 June 2018. The Circle Relationship Manager Peta Barrett shares her thoughts on the Processions march that took place in four UK cities on 10 June 2018 to commemorate the Representation of the People […]

Menstruation Matters

Menstruation matters, especially to the millions of girls being held back by their periods. Some studies show that in some parts of Uganda, 74% of girls believe that period pain is a sign of illness, 50% of girls avoid […]

Menstruation Matters: understanding the solutions with social enterprise Sanitree

Photo: Bharat Singh and Martha Reilly, co-directors of Sanitree This May we are celebrating Menstruation Matters and focussing on how we can make women and girls feel confident about menstruation. Sanitree, a social enterprise founded and run by a team […]

Why Menstruation Matters: tackling menstrual taboos in India

Photo: Volunteers at Restless Development, in Tamil Nadu. The Circle member Shannon Hodge volunteered in rural village Thiruvalangadu in Tamil Nadu, India, for three months with youth-led development agency Restless Development, as part of the International Citizen Service, a global […]

Widen Your Circle: with The Circle Member Dushy

Photo: Dushy and her family in Sri Lanka. “Through The Circle I am being connected to like-minded women globally” “Mix a tinge of your own style in whatever you do and stay unique” has been the mantra of Dusyanthi Rabinath, […]

Feminist Calendar: May and June 2018

Our volunteer Anna Renfrew is back with her list of feminist fun and fabness. 1 May — Confrontation? Doing Feminist & Anti-Racist Work in Institutions (Cambridge) How can we confront institutions about their role in perpetuating violence and work […]

5 biggest health concerns faced by the women and girls of the Rohingya plight — What can we do to create awareness about it?

Photo credit: VOA. Since August 2017, an estimated 655,000 Rohingya refugees have joined the other 300,000 refugees in the camps in Bangladesh. There are now in excess of one million refugees in fear for their lives. Among them are countless […]

Events to attend in April to learn about the inequality issues The Circle is addressing

Photo credit: Judit Prieto | The Circle members at March 4 Women, London. Inspired by the Feminist Calendars written by our fantastic volunteers, we wanted to put some additional external events for April onto your agenda. Events are a great […]

Inspiration Is in the Everyday Woman

Photo credit: Nader Elgadi | Members of The Circle at the Annual Gathering 2017 As a woman, I feel we are always encouraged to name our “inspirational woman”. We are surrounded by the media plugging the likes of Emma Watson, […]

The Circle Member Ann-Marie O’ Connor reflects on #March4Women

Photo credit: Judit Prieto | #March4Women 2018, London. On 4 March 2018, several members of The Circle attended the #March4Women rally in London with their friends and family. Ann-Marie O’Connor is one of those members. She has written about why […]

Young Global Feminists at #March4Women

Photo credit: Judit Prieto. On Sunday the 4th March, by the houses of Parliament, the air was cold, but the atmosphere was warm, filled with minds and hearts of people from all over — all protesting against the same thing. We […]

Bina’s Story of Surviving Gender-Based Violence

Bina is a survivor of gender-based violence. She has received support from a women’s shelter in India, which was set up by The Asian Circle. This is how it changed her life. When Bina was pregnant, she was physically […]

8 Women’s Rights Books to Choose from this Spring

Our mission at The Circle is to bring women together, defend women’s rights and give them a voice. Here are eight books by authors who do just that, to get you feeling inspired for the spring… 1. Jess Phillips, […]

Annie Lennox: an Evening of Music and Conversation

Annie Lennox: An evening of music and conversation, Sadler’s Wells, London, review: Her voice was the epitome of pure soul Pop star turned soul diva turned international campaigner. In recent times we have seen Annie Lennox mostly in […]

The Circle Founder Annie Lennox on Notes on Being a Woman, i-D

at college, pop icon annie lennox was told to become a teacher The former Eurythmics star, who has sold more than 80 million records worldwide, tells i-D about dropping out of college, the wisdom of ageing, and her women-focused charity […]

Feminist Calendar: March and April 2018

Photo: Care International’s #March4Women rally, 2017. Looking for inspiration from incredible women around the country? The Circle volunteer Anna Renfrew has got it covered with this collection of feminist events near you! 1 March – Both Sides Now (Leeds) Both […]

Sexual violence in conflict and the use of women as weapons of war

Photo credit: Jan Dago. Published by Alexia Foundation. Internally-displaced civilians during the Sierra Leone civil war. In modern wars, it is now more dangerous to be a woman than a soldier on the front line. Women can endure violence, rape […]

8 Inspiring Quotes by War Correspondent Marie Colvin

As part of The Circle’s month celebrating women in journalism, today we remember the incredible Marie Colvin, one of the bravest foreign correspondents of our time and a passionate advocate of women’s rights and influencing change. If blinded in one […]

Widen Your Circle: with The Circle Member Efe

“Her story has encouraged people like me to know that you’re not alone in this situation, and that’s what The Circle is all about” Efe is a Biomedical Scientist and a member of The Circle. In her Widen Your Circle […]

Widen Your Circle: with The Circle Member Lianne

“They say that there is power in numbers and I think this is particularly true for us as women” The second vlog in the Widen Your Circle campaign is by Lianne, a member of The Circle that is based in […]

Widen Your Circle: with Susan and Adrienne

“To actually sit down for the first time ever and have a conversation about domestic violence and about sex trafficking… we’re connecting at a very different level” This month, our members are taking over our blog, to tell you why they […]

Feminist Calendar: January and February 2018

11 January — Xenofeminism: A Politics for Alienation (London) Hosted by the Centre for Gender Studies at SOAS, speakers Diann Bauer and Helen Hester will speak about their work on the critical school of Xenofeminism. Xenofeminism (XF) is a “gender […]

The Asian Circle celebrates its fourth birthday with a Chai Day at Montys

The Asian Circle members and Rav Bansal (right), from the Great British Bake Off. The Asian Circle celebrated its fourth birthday with a Chai Day at Montys Nepalese restaurant in Ealing on Saturday 9th December 2017. The Asian Circle was […]

Annie Lennox to receive National German Sustainability Award

The Circle Founder Annie Lennox will receive the Anniversary Honorary Award from the National German Sustainability Award on 8 December 2017 in Düsseldorf. “Our honorary awardees are icons of social and environmental commitment”, says Stefan Schulze-Hausmann, founder of the award. […]

Annie Lennox to take part in the Vatican’s Concerto di Natale

Annie Lennox, Founder of The Circle, will take part in the 25th Concerto di Natale — Christmas Concert — on 16 December 2017 at the Aula Paolo VI, in the Vatican, under the patronage of the Congregation for Catholic […]

Our film about Nonceba, with voice over by The Circle founder Annie Lennox

Image: Siyanda and her son in Khayelitsha. Watch our short film about the Nonceba Family Counselling Centre, in Khayelitsha, Cape Town. The Circle is supporting Nonceba’s shelter for women who have survived gender-based violence. Many women at the shelter are […]

The Feminist Advent Calendar by The Scottish Circle

Photo: The Scottish Circle’s event in partnership with Unicef and the David Williamson Rwanda Foundation. The Scottish Circle’s Feminist Advent Calendar is a collation of some of the amazing events you can attend in Scotland, or things you can do […]

On feminism in Buenos Aires and Chai Day

Photo: Fiona at her Chai Day at the University of Bristol. The Circle volunteer Fiona Gilligan shares her experience supporting a women’s rights NGO in Buenos Aires and how it inspired her to organise a Chai Day at the University […]

Annie Lennox’s interview for The Independent: on Eurythmics, Nelson Mandela and global feminism

Annie Lennox discusses her career, global feminism, activism and founding The Circle in today’s interview with The Independent. Annie Lennox is to perform hits including “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” and her own personal favourite, “Here Comes The […]

What we learn from our members: dental health and its link to poverty and education

Children taking part in the Live Smart project, in Khayelitsha, Cape Town. Credit: Dental Wellness Trust. I am very lucky. My job entails working closely with members of The Circle. And this means that I am constantly learning about their areas […]

Annie Lennox- An Evening of Music and Conversation

On 4 March, Annie Lennox will share thoughts, memories and reflections during a one-night-only event of conversation, musical performance and visual imagery at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, in London. All proceeds from the evening will be donated to The Circle. Annie founded […]

Relationship Manager Musings: Teabags and Hashtags

Peta Barrett, the Relationship Manager at The Circle, on the Chai Day 2017 launch and why you should organise a Chai Day to raise awareness about gender-based violence Colourful falling leaves, busy squirrels and tea go hand in hand […]

The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and How You Can Help Achieve Them

Young reporters from the Pikin to Pikin Tok project in Sierra Leone. Photo credit: Child to Child. The Circle member Shannon Hodge looks at the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how we, as active citizens, can maintain […]

5 Life Hacks to Help Change the Fashion Industry

Photo: The Music Circle’s Rumble in the Jumble, London. Cheap food and fashion often means someone, somewhere, is paying the price. Organisations like Fairtrade aim to stop this by helping people in the world’s most marginalised communities escape poverty, strengthen […]

The Circle at the Green Carpet Fashion Awards

The Circle founder Annie Lennox with the seamstresses of Maison Valentino, after presenting them with The Art of Craftmanship award. “Behind every great house of fashion, there are thousands of exceptional women” On Sunday, The Circle Italia members attended the […]

Annie Lennox’s and The George Harrison Global Citizen Award

On Monday, we were thrilled to see The Circle founder Annie Lennox receive the George Harrison Global Citizen Award at the Global Citizen Festival in New York. The award honoured her contribution to music and activism throughout her career. Olivia […]

8 Things You Should Know about Fast Fashion

The fast fashion industry has been a hot topic at The Circle this year. Back in May, The Lawyers Circle published a report that sets out the legal argument that a living wage is a fundamental right. We are […]

Q&A with The Circle co-founding member Livia Firth

The biggest treasure in life is sisterhood. The power of women in supporting each other is endless and so different from anything else in the world At The Circle,we are ever-inspired by each and every one of our members. […]

Feminist Calendar: September and October

Photo credit: Care International. Here’s our roundup of feminist events happening up and down the country over the course of the next two months. Whether you’re interested in sports, art, comedy or politics, there’s something for everyone! 3 September – […]

Six ways in which educating girls benefits their wider community

The Circle member and volunteer Shannon Hodge looks at how educating girls can help tackle everything from child marriage to world poverty Today, more than 263 million children are out of school, with 202 million of those of secondary school […]

On being a member of The Circle — a message from our Relationship Manager

Peta Barrett, The Circle Relationship Manager, at our South Africa’s Women’s Day celebration. South Africa’s Women’s Day was celebrated in London, on 8 August, even with the grey sky that relentlessly drenched the city! Together we watched our new short […]

“Education is about more than just textbook learning. It gives me the freedom of choice”

Project: Educate Girls Suhani* is 11 years old and lives in rural Rajasthan. A few years ago, Suhani was struggling to learn how to read and write. Her parents decided that she was not gaining much from going to school […]

South Africa’s National Women’s Day — a message from The Circle founder Annie Lennox

As this is National Women’s Day in South Africa I wanted to share how proud I am of our short film clip which was made for The Circle with love, passion and dedication by the South African film maker […]

The Asian Circle Summer Party, 2017

The Asian Circle Summer Party, 2017 — press release The Asian Circle Summer Party is beginning to become a bit of a tradition. The annual bonanza was hosted once again at the fantastic Bangalore Express restaurant near Bank Station, […]

Karigari London — an exhibition of artisanal Indian fashion and decor

Karigari London, 2017 — press release. The Asian Circle was delighted to be the charity partner at this year’s Karigari London exhibition. The event took place at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan centre, in West Kensington, London, between 22 and 25 […]

A new lease of life for the Pink (Rickshaw) Ladies

Nasreen Ghafoor, one of the first drivers at The Pink Rickshaw. Photo credit: The Environment Protection Fund. With a video call full of laughter, female empowerment and even tears, some of the members of The Circle caught up with the […]

8 Women’s Rights Documentaries to Watch on Netflix

Photo credit: India’s Daughter. Storytelling through film — a combination of human interest stories, compelling visuals and an emotional narrative — is becoming increasingly popular among those advocating for human rights, due to its success in putting injustice under a […]

Annie Lennox’s full interview at the Most Powerful Women Summit in London

Singer Annie Lennox Calls for Solidarity to Help Most Vulnerable Women

The Circle featured in Thomson Reuters Foundation News LONDON, June 13 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – The challenges women face in the developing world, such as poor education and healthcare, child marriage and female genital mutilation may seem insurmountable, but […]

Who is a Refugee? 8 Things You Should Know about the Refugee Crisis

Image credit: Tyler Hicks/The New York Times. “Imagine living in a refugee camp where you are too scared to go the toilet, or being subjected to sexual harassment on a daily basis in your host community because of your gender […]

The Lawyers Circle Groundbreaking Living Wage Report in the Media

The Circle member and co-founder Livia Firth and The Circle member Jessica Simor at the Copenhagen Fashion Summit. (Photo credit: Copenhagen Fashion Summit) On 11 May 2017, The Lawyers Circle launched a groundbreaking report at the Copenhagen Fashion Summit. Fashion […]

Surround Yarl’s Wood: Don’t Let Some of the Most Vulnerable Women in the UK Be Forgotten

Image: Women wave at protesters from their rooms in Yarl’s Wood. On 13 May 2017, the women detained at Yarl’s Wood saw the biggest crowd to date protesting outside the metal fences that separate them from fields of yellow flowers. […]

Feminist Calendar: May and June

We are delighted to share with you the first issue of our Feminist Calendar. In this series of articles we will attempt to keep you posted on talks on feminist theory, art and poetry events, protests, and key dates in […]

International Women’s Day, part ii: Widening Our Circle at the WOW festival

On 10 and 11 March, The Circle and our team of fabulous volunteers set up shop at the Southbank Centre’s WOW — Women of the World festival with the aim of meeting as many women as possible, discussing our current […]

Actress Shabana Azmi Celebrates International Women’s Day with The Asian Circle at the London Asian Film Festival

The Asian Circle celebrated International Women’s Day (IWD) at the European premiere of Chalk n Duster, a film starring Shabana Azmi. With this year’s IWD theme of Be Bold for Change, we turned to Chalk n Duster, its fascinating […]

International Women’s Day, part i: #March4Women

Photo credit: Care International. When I was younger I loved to swim. I was never a fast swimmer, my swimming teacher told me that I had stamina rather than speed. I remember there being an aggression, an impatience and an […]

The Asian Circle Hosts Summer Party Fundraiser

The Asian Circle hosted its first Summer Networking Party on 22 July 2016 at the luxurious restaurant Bangalore Express in the City of London. The event was an opportunity to bring The Asian Circle members together to enjoy the evening […]

September 2014, The Varsity Club, Oxford. The renowned Oxford artist Rachel Ducker curated a one-off art event on Thursday 25 September 2014 in collaboration with The Oxford Circle to support an Oxfam project improving schools in rural communities in Niger. […]